Ambushed!: The Assassination Plot Against President Garfield by Gail Jarrow

 

Last week, I read Ambushed!: The Assassination Plot Against President Garfield by Gail Jarrow. This nonfiction book is about the assassination and death of President James Garfield. The book begins by summarizing the lives of and relationship between James Abram Garfield and Charles Guiteau, the man who would assassinate him. Just months after Garfield was elected president, Guiteau began stalking him, and on July 2, 1881, Guiteau shot Garfield at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. Garfield didn't die until eighty days later, though. The doctors made mistakes in diagnosing where the bullet was in Garfield's body and used treatments that were becoming outdated, including probing for the bullet with their unwashed fingers. Because of these mistakes, Garfield suffered a slow and painful death. Afterwards, Guiteau was tried in court, found guilty, and hung almost a year later.

I lived in Mentor, Ohio, for four years of my life, so I've long been interested in President Garfield because it was also his home. I knew he was assassinated, but I didn't realize how early it was in his presidency, although I was aware that he didn't die right away. I was also definitely interested in learning if he really could have survived. I thought this book was fascinating because it went into the details of the issues in Garfield's treatment by his doctors. I never realized how slow American doctors were in adopting sanitation methods even though there had been research by European doctors at the time. It was devastating how much Garfield suffered from when he was shot to the moment he passed away. It seems like he really would have had a better chance of survival if his doctors had simply washed their hands and used tools that were sanitized. I truly found that heartbreaking as I read the book. I was also disturbed by Guiteau throughout the book, how he was deluded into thinking that he was deserving of a job in Garfield's administration and that assassinating Garfield would actually unite the Republican party, which was divided at the time. I was almost actually glad that justice was served in his case. All and all, this book was riveting and anyone interested in medical mysteries should read it.

Blood and Germs: The Civil War Battle Against Wounds and Disease by Gail Jarrow.

Yesterday, I finished reading Blood and Germs: The Civil War Battle Against Wounds and Disease by Gail Jarrow. This nonfiction book is about medicine and medical care during the Civil War. Over the course of the war, many were killed not just by injuries during battle but also by disease that ravaged through military camps from viruses and bacteria due to poor sanitation. Some of those who survived never fully recovered and were left with chronic illness or devastating injuries. Despite the challenges, though, doctors, nurses, and volunteers in both the North and the South worked to improve the conditions of hospitals and enhance medical care through innovations in surgical techniques, medicine, and battlefield rescues.

Lately, I've been interested in learning more about the Civil War, and I started reading Blood and Germs while reading a book about women spies during the Civil War for adult readers (Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott). What I found most interesting while reading is how more people actually died from disease than wounds suffered during battle, but I also enjoyed the features on doctors, nurses, volunteers, survivors, and victims. I especially appreciated learning more about the women and Black people who helped during the Civil War. While I thought some of injuries were gruesome, I was more concerned if anything could have be done to save a person back then. In some cases, the answer was "yes"; in other cases, the person would continue to suffer and death didn't always come quickly. The back matter of the book includes a timeline, a glossary, online resources, an author's notes, source notes, a general bibliography, a bibliography of personal accounts, and an index. Anyone with an interest in the Civil War, war history in general, or the history of medicine should read this book.

Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and the War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America by Gail Jarrow

 

Last night, I finished reading Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and the War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America by Gail Jarrow. This nonfiction book is about how a radio drama, based on H. G. Wells's War of the Worlds and performed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre players, caused some listeners to really believe that America was being attacked by aliens from Mars. When they found out that the invasion wasn't real, they were angry that they were tricked and wrote letters to both Orson Welles and the Federal Communications Commission expressing their outrage. Afterwards, there was a national discussion about whether or not radio should be regulated more heavily because it could be used to spread fake news and propaganda.

I thought this book was utterly fascinating. I saw the War of the Worlds film in 2005 and heard about how people thought the 1938 radio play was real, so I wanted to know more about why the radio play incited so much panic. Based on what I knew about the story, I didn't really understand how people could think it was anything other than science fiction. The book definitely answered my questions, though, and it's very relevant to current issues relating to fake news. It really made me think about how important it is to have critical thinking skills, especially when using social media. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in hoaxes and the spread of fake news.

Dance of Fire by Yelena Black and American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South by Gail Jarrow

 

Just before spring break, I read Dance of Fire by Yelena Black. This book is the sequel to Dance of Shadows, which I read last summer. In this paranormal thriller, Vanessa and Justin go to London to try out for the Royal Court Ballet Company. Although Vanessa is there to look for her missing sister, Margaret, the Lyric Elite needs her, Justin, or both of them to win the contest to infiltrate the Royal Court Ballet and find the dark society of necrodancers. Vanessa can't leave behind the past few months, though, and she's been followed by the demon that Josef had her summon.

I was very excited to read this book, and it had me on the edge of my seat, wondering if Vanessa would win the ballet competition and find Margaret while she was in London. I was a little disappointed that Vanessa and Justin still had disagreements and didn't work together more, but their slow burn romance did reach a satisfying conclusion by the end and I was very happy. I also really enjoyed the mystery of what happened to Margaret after she disappeared. It was compelling reading her diary entries because it turned out that two young men helped her leave New York and make a new life for herself in London. I liked the parallel that both Vanessa and Margaret tried out for the Royal Court Ballet Company. Overall, Dance of Fire was full of suspense and plot twists and anyone who liked the first book should read it.

During spring break, I also finished reading American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South by Gail Jarrow. This nonfiction book is about the discovery of hookworm, a parasite that made people sick in the southern United States in the 1800s and early 1900s. After hookworm was found in other parts of the world, a zoologist, Charles Stiles, worked with doctors and others to treat ill Southerners suffering from hookworm and teach them how to protect themselves by wearing shoes and using outhouses in order to slow the spread of the worms. Despite the fact that hookworm is now under control in the United States, it is still a serious health issue in other parts of the world, particularly among poor people.

Although this book was seriously gross at times, it was also very fascinating. I liked learning about the science behind hookworm disease and how Charles Stiles and others educated the public about how the parasite spread and what they could do to protect themselves. I also thought it was very timely and relevant because I couldn't help but be reminded of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the struggles of misinformation and some people not taking a public health issue seriously. American Murderer has plenty of photographs and quotes from primary sources and the backmatter includes a timeline, a glossary, a list of web resources, an author's note, source notes, a bibliography, an index, and picture credits. If you have an interest in medical history or gross stuff, I would highly recommend this engaging book.